The healthcare workforce is made of different health professionals that offer a variety of healthcare services such as nursing, surgery, therapy to mention a few. The health care system has improved over the past few decades to better the quality of care. Some of the improvements have centered on strategic improvement on items such as communication, leadership, conflict resolution, collaboration, and patient safety. It is considered vital to health care teams to enhance quality service delivery as it improves patient safety and quality of care. This paper analyzes five aspects of healthcare that include communication, leadership, motivation, problem-solving, and management and provides recommendations for improvement.
Communication
Efficient and effective communication plays a crucial in health care. Communication involves the analysis of the relationship that nurses maintain with the patients and physicians. Vermier et al., (2015) analyzed different aspects of communication and identifying that the delivery of quality health care depends on effective communication and facilities. The study showed that without proper communication, patients may be exposed to a higher risk. There is thus a significant need for communication at all stages of service delivery right from the diagnosis to the final recovery of the patient.
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There are also different types of communication and the application of each of the types can be used to improve healthcare. Vermier et al., (2015) study revealed the different types of communication. It unveiled that face-to-face communication is essential because one can hear and also read the facial expression to get the meaning of the word under discussion. With the advancement in technology such as video conferencing, communication has been made possible even when both participants are distant.
Written communication remains the most preferred means of communication by healthcare providers. The most chosen forms are discharge and referral letters. Written communication is beneficial because it can be used for future reference and can be distributed quickly to the required number of health providers in the care process. The written form of communication sometimes is inefficient since most professionals observe that their information as improperly addressed.
Poor communication can also have negative impacts on healthcare. Vermier et al., (2015) study revealed the economic impacts of ineffective communication include readmissions, avoidable hospitals, and repeated referrals because of problems not correctly addressed. The study recommended the use of structured and reply letters and an efficient feedback system. The review generally showed that poor communication leads to compromising of patients' safety, closure, and recurring problems.
Excellent communication is also the heart of health care service delivery. Howick et al. (2018) research study illustrated that excellent communication between healthcare practitioners and patients is the center of service delivery in health care. Excellent communication promotes patient-centered treatment and also reduce risks of malpractices and as well improve patient outcome (Howick et al., 2018). Other key findings were that empathy intervention and expectation intervention are critical factors to consider in healthcare communication. Empathy interventions revealed that good communication enhances empathy which in turn improves the quality of life. Effective communication enriches understanding and satisfaction between participants in medical facilities. Furthermore, Howick et al., (2018) revealed that through compassion, physicians take the shortest time to respond to their clients’ queries. Patient expectation intervention showed that decent communication increased confidence and satisfaction which then improves quality of life because of the patient expectations.
Personal Application
The analysis of communication showed that communication was integral to health care delivery. On a personal basis, the study first provided an understanding of the importance of communication in healthcare. When interacting with other individuals in the health care setting, I will thus observe proper communication in order to improve service delivery. Additionally, the study revealed different aspects of effective communication such as empathy. The use of compassion and delivery of positive information will be used to improve the psychological and physical condition of the patient as well as improve satisfaction.
In order to further improve communication, one can consider undertaking training on effective communication. Training will be important to realize being in the management of health care in the future. Continual training will ensure that one can improve their skills even with the changing technology. The application of technology will also be incorporated to ensure that there is an improvement in service delivery. There are different automated systems and social media communication that are available today and can be used to improve communication.
Leadership
Effective leadership in healthcare influences the delivery of care. Leadership is critical as the health care field deals with diverse medical teams and it can improve the direction of the organization in general. Hargett et al. (2019) observed that healthcare leadership requires one to be influential and patient so as to benefit the patients and practitioners. It indirectly improves the well-being of patients through the promotion of workplace interaction. The research by Hargett et al. (2019) involved an analysis is a literature review, focus groups, mixed-method analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis. The literature review analyzed the application of literature search and review of previous leadership models whereas Focus groups used participants who were being recruited to give their opinions on competencies required by healthcare leaders.
The findings by Hargett et al. (2019) found that medical care leadership skills can be taught. The study on focus groups identified necessary competencies that can be demonstrated by practitioners. It also described the essential skills and knowledge that influence leadership in health care working environment. The mixed-method analysis showed that patient-centeredness is very vital and core in health care leadership than competency. Cluster hierarchical categorizes competency into four domains that include integrity, teamwork, critical thinking and emotional ( Charles et al., 2019) . T he research designed a useful leadership model for healthcare based on patient-centeredness and competencies of integrity, teamwork, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence . The study was beneficial in teaching leadership skills.
Cherian & Karkada, (2017) reviewed leadership styles and their implications in healthcare. Effective leadership is the heart of any organization and its health. It improves one's social and professional life and can be applied at all levels. The review applied a descriptive design from secondary sources from journal articles. The electronic search databases such as engines were also employed. The findings of the review illustrated various characteristics of effective leadership such as cognitive ability that enhances confidence. Leadership was a predictor of success in any healthcare facility. It also found that a strong personality makes leaders resilient and ethical decision making and as well as react positively to criticism and anxiety.
Cherian & Karkada, (2017) further revealed that emotional intelligence helps leaders understand how to control emotions in which they inspire their team on how to best handle emotions making them highly productive. The best leaders were found to be charming, social and trusted by their subordinates. Additionally, the study addressed three kinds of leadership styles: interactive style where a leader asks for opinions of the supporting staff to involve them before making decisions, the directive style whereby a leader gives orders without explanation, and non-directive style decisions are made without the influence of the staff (Cherian & Karkada, 2017).
Personal Application
The study indicated that health professional leaders must demonstrate resilience when reacting to change and support their teams to embraces positivity. This can be applied on a personal basis through effective leadership and one can change and reframe the thinking of those that one leads showing that change is achievable. The study also noted that leaders are driving forces and are a source of motivation and role model for future leaders. The importance of proper leadership was emphasized showing that one should be able to motivate others. It was also observed that a leader needs to create an influential culture that initiates positive employee engagement and retention. The observation that as a future leader, positive employee engagement could be realized by building a talented team of employees, making a fair judgment when dealing with reports and foster their career and professional development by offering financial incentives where possible. All these strategies will be applied when one becomes a future leader. Also, during decision making, delegating some decisions to employees to develop their skills and confidence.
Motivation
A significant limitation in achieving goals is the absence of motivation and training in the workforce. In any healthcare setting, the loss of motivation can result in workers quitting and this can cripple the already delicate health care systems. Health worker retention is very vital in achieving performance and one of the ways to retain them is through motivation and training. Willis-Shattuck et al. (2008) analysed financial and non-financial impacts of retention on the motivation of health workers. The findings from the study illustrated that financial incentives could not keep workers alone. Instead, motivations should be integrated with other benefits. While low salaries demotivate health workers which lower productivity, other employee benefits that can be used to realize motivation. The study by Willis-Shattuck et al., (2008) also found that health workers take pride where they see an opportunity to advance in career. This can be achieved through training which enables workers to pursue professional goals and take in more demanding jobs. The research further showed that insufficient resources and infrastructure in the hospitals demotivates workers. One critical factor that also improved motivation was the appreciation and encouragement of workers in order to motivate them.
Kofi, Odoom and Opoku (2016) examined the impacts of motivation and how it’s intrinsic and extrinsic aspects affect the performance of health professionals. The motivation was a prerequisite of excellent performance in any organization, and it was to be fulfilled to realize positive results. The study adopted a qualitative approach, purposive sampling, and interviews. The use of a qualitative research approach enabled the researcher to carry out an in-depth inquiry on the relationship between work performance and motivation.
The results of the research showed that workers have varied opinions on intrinsic motivation factors. Some of the factors that were found to support motivation were job satisfaction, enabling the working environment and logistics provisions in the workplace. The findings showed that workers deliver the best performance when they work in a conducive environment. Additionally, job satisfaction was the pivot of worker motivation in any working environment. It found that insufficient resources in the facilities derail work and limit the utilization of knowledge and skills. Additionally, it showed that extrinsic factors such as financial incentives are the best motivator for excellent performance in any healthcare. Workers were especially motivated by financial aid when they experienced a financial crisis.
Based on the findings, the study recommends that institutions should renew the content of their motivational policies based on intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Financial incentives, enabling the working environment and logistics provisions were essential to every health worker to achieve performance (Kofi, Odoom & Opoku (2016). The review concluded that motivation is a significant determinant in attaining achievement in health facilities. Motivated workers are psychologically and socially ready to execute their duties well. Therefore, financial and non-financial motivating factors are essential for effective performance in an institution.
Personal Application
The results from the two studies revealed the importance of motivation to facilitate a proper working environment. The results showed that employers play a crucial role in ensuring the motivation of the workforce. The use of different incentives such as both monetary and non-monetary was found useful. This could be applied in a future job in management when one handles a group of employees. It was identified that employees are motivated not only by financial benefits but by proper work environment as well. Additionally, in the current work environment, any observations of the lack of motivation of employees should reveal that there are problems regarding the work environment or the benefits. Effective recommendations can be made to improve these aspects when one identifies that employees are not motivated.
Problem-Solving
The presence of conflicts can take place in any workplace setting. It is important to have conflicts resolved through the use of proper problem-solving strategies. McLaughlin et al. (2019) illustrated a problem-solving technique known as design thinking that has been used to improve medical outcomes and patient experience. The study further showed that healthcare professionals require knowledge of problem-solving to address complex patient problems in the facility. Applied quantitative research analysis was done to show how the lack of the application of problem-solving can lead to negative outcomes in healthcare.
The study by McLaughlin et al. (2019) highlighted the benefits of problem-solving techniques for healthcare professionals. Problem-solving skills could help participants refine their problems and identify suitable needs with a personal approach. Additionally, the problem-solving approach could advance communication skills, improve patient outcome and enhance creativity. Problem-solving skills enhances confidence because it gives one the room to make a proper judgment before reacting to an argument. The report provided an insight into the use of problem-solving techniques to date, its benefits and the development of design thinking research for healthcare professionals. It promoted design thinking to identify the efforts of problem-solving in the working environment.
Batista et al. (2005) revealed the importance of the problem-solving approach and the need for training of healthcare professionals on how to act both in professional and academic life. Problem-solving was found to be achieved through accumulating knowledge build-up from information and acting on it in reality. Batista et al. (2005) identified problem-solving in two dimensions: problem-solving based learning and problem-solving based teaching.
The significant findings of the review showed that the problem-solving approach provided essential learning experiences to students. It also embraces teamwork, leadership development and increased motivation among professionals in the workplace. Problem-solving approach imparted knowledge to learners and leaders because it becomes easy to resolve conflicts and enhance cohesion as wells as teamwork in working places. The health practitioners will have the experience to assess what the patient is crippling with and be able to examine it critically especially for the mentally ill (Batista et al., 2005).
Personal Application
The study can be applied in the current workplace by observing proper interaction with health care personnel. One of the critical elements of the study was that design thinking can be used to promote problem-solving. Design-thinking could be applied through a critical analysis of the problem and designing various ways to solve the problem. Additionally, as a future leader and manager, the study revealed various strategies that can be used to improve problem-solving in the workplace. One of the strategies that were found to be especially useful was to encourage the staff to identify flaws and find the procedure on how to solve them. In case there is a problem in the organization, the leader should first be identified and a team that can work on the problem identified. After the problem has been detected, one should listen to the opinions of each of the members, list all the possible solutions, make decisions as a team and implement the suggested solutions. To foster problem-solving techniques in the facility, it was also identified that it is critical to seek feedback from parties affected by the problem and create opportunities to evaluate them.
Management
The research by Parand et al. (2014) reviewed the empirical literature on the commitment of managers in the provision of quality healthcare. It was identified that it is the moral obligation of managers to ensure that patients have access to affordable and quality medical care. The search strategy focused on three main areas such as quality care, hospital setting, and management. The results of the study addressed the managerial time spent on quality care and safety in the facility. High-quality care and safety are achieved when the board and managers spend more time to assess the quality of services and work on improving them. Additionally, the study revealed that support and engagement of senior management were regarded as a primary factor in hospital quality care, patient safety and success of other programs. The conclusion drawn from the research revealed that the time spent and work influence the quality of care and evidence.
Group management has been identified to enhance clinical outcomes in any medical facility. Leggat (2007) discussed the importance of teamwork in the healthcare environment and identified essential teamwork competencies for health managers. The aim of the research was to ascertain the competency perceived by managers to contribute to healthcare services. Findings from the study showed that managers should have the right skills, motives, and knowledge to run the organization. The research also showed that the commitment to work together and commitment to the organization encourages a high level of performance. Group management commits to the organization by communicating institution goals and helping colleagues translate it into results. Group management could be easily realized through the use of teamwork between the management and employees. Management was thus advised to demonstrate collaboration through the facilitation of the needed psychological safety to enable team members to learn from previous mistakes and challenges. The research concluded that individual teamwork competencies contribute to effective teamwork in the administration of teams. Team management enhances team success when members commit to the organization and its values to foster teamwork relationships.
Personal Application
The findings from the study highlighted the need to strengthen team culture and unity in the working environment. When working at the current employee level, it was observed that there was a need for employees to collaborate with the management. This will enable the management to be able to create favorable working policies and a work environment that can be used to improve the delivery of care. Additionally, when working as future managers it was observed that group management can be used to realize an overall improvement in care delivery. Group management was found to be specifically improved through team communication in the facility, creating ideas, discussing results and brainstorming on how to improve on the results. Also, management can meet regularly and promote individual development. For example, in a health facility, the manager and medical director to meet annually with every team member to review and discuss goals for advancement.
Conclusion
The five different aspects of healthcare such as communication, leadership, problem-solving, motivation, and management were analyzed by considering different research and identifying how they can be used to improve personal care delivery. All these factors played a big role in ensuring that patients received the best care. From the analysis, it was noted that communication goes along with problem-solving and leadership to improve collaboration in the work environment. Motivation improved productivity and communication enhanced good patient-physician and the employer-employee relationship. Management involved working as a team to promote unity and cohesion and provide an opportunity to enhance individual development.
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